So, your child wants to be an Osprey?
Michelle Balaun2020-10-28T12:28:17-04:00Osprey, who could blame them! The University of North Florida, otherwise known as the hidden gem, is a gorgeous campus with its own ecosystem, lazy rive [...]
Away for the High Holidays
Michelle Balaun2020-09-01T13:03:53-04:00Celebrate High Holidays with a New Community Generally, our kids get to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for those who celebrate the upcomi [...]
How Will Students Stay Safe, Sane and Happy this Fall
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T10:19:34-04:00Where is a Safe Spot at College? As colleges are doing their best to come up with ideas as to how to keep our students safe and healthy as they reopen c [...]
Sorority Recruitment: What to Expect & What to Wear
Michelle Balaun2020-07-22T12:55:29-04:00Here Are Tips & Tricks On What to Wear If you are planning on going through recruitment at UNF, we have all the tips and tricks on what to wear to e [...]
Get on the Bus
Michelle Balaun2020-06-17T15:16:36-04:00A Guide to UNF’s Bus System Getting to and from campus or around campus at UNF can be a little stressful, however, UNF’s Bus system Osprey Connector can [...]
Meal Plan at UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-05-25T14:42:47-04:00Burgers and Pizza and Fries – OH MY! Your student is away at school and many of you might be envisioning your student’s diet as burgers, pizza, fries an [...]
Taking the Campus Tour
Michelle Balaun2020-11-05T11:27:37-05:00What To Do On Tour! Touring college campuses is so important before your student decides where they want to attend school. Some students will tour campu [...]
Move-In Day – Are You Ready?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T12:44:12-04:00More Move-In, Less Stress-Out ***Move-in day for fall is undetermined at this point, however, please check back in July for an update. Move-in day, one [...]
Should You Take a Gap Year Before Graduate School?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-10T13:59:51-04:00Gap Year Answers. I remember when I started graduate school and on the first day of class, we were assigned to read over 300 pages and write a paper bef [...]
Finding An Internship
Michelle Balaun2020-09-03T16:21:31-04:00Learn About Your Options, Find an Internship I have three children; one graduated from FSU, one is a junior at FSU and one is a freshman at UNF. Each on [...]
Moving In
Michelle Balaun2020-06-10T13:58:00-04:00All the Tips and Tricks to Make Moving Easy Once your student has been given their move-in date and dorm or residence assignment, the process of handlin [...]
Eating Healthy at college
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T11:33:31-04:00Eating healthy, not an easy feat! It can be hard to eat healthy when at college. While on-campus dining offers healthy options, sometimes having the opt [...]
Trouble in Paradise
Michelle Balaun2020-05-05T09:31:48-04:00Trouble, It Happens… Is your student having trouble or in trouble? Are they having problems with a roommate, an apartment lease, underage drinking, acad [...]
Moving Out
Michelle Balaun2020-11-11T10:41:44-05:00Is Moving Out Harder? For some, the process of moving in is easier than moving out. When your student moves in, they neatly pack their items in a suitca [...]
Need Advice?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-05T14:29:01-04:00Advice Guide to Getting An Advising Appointment Usually, the busiest time of a semester is when students need to create their schedules for the followin [...]
Off-Campus Living
Michelle Balaun2020-06-05T14:16:19-04:00Economical to Extravagant Off-Campus Your child moves into their dorm in August and everyone is so excited…new friends, new space and everything is goin [...]
Having a Car at College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-04T10:56:10-04:00Can You Get By Without a Car? Whether to let your student bring a car to campus will probably lead to many conversations. In order to try to have a stud [...]
Mother Daughter Time
Michelle Balaun2020-06-04T10:49:38-04:00There is Nothing Like It! One of my favorite things to do with my kids is spending one on one time with them. Typically speaking, my daughter always wa [...]
Food for Thought, Is Everyone Fed?
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T15:02:52-04:00No Student Goes Hungry Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that are barely [...]
Where Will They Live – Managing the Gap
Michelle Balaun2020-07-16T11:54:57-04:00Managing the Gap Did you know there was a time gap? Although it feels like you just moved your students into their dorms, you now have to move them out. [...]
First Time Loan Borrower
Michelle Balaun2020-07-09T12:10:34-04:00You’ll Need to Do This for a Loan What is the Entrance Counseling? In July of 2016, the U.S. Department of Education made it a requirement that, in orde [...]
Volunteering Turns Your Compassion Into Action
Michelle Balaun2020-09-02T16:01:03-04:00Volunteering with passion is key. From personal experience, I have found that volunteering can feed the soul. It can provide something that is missing [...]
Dress for Success
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T15:49:38-04:00Time to Step It Up, Success Is Waiting! As they get closer to graduation, there are many changes that students will have to face. Although it may not b [...]
How to Choose or Change Majors
Michelle Balaun2020-06-02T09:27:12-04:00Feels Like A Really Big Decision! Considering the University of North Florida offers a multitude of degrees; how is one to choose? Most students begin c [...]
Best Coffee Shops at UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T10:26:29-04:00Coffee, Cup of Joe, a Cuppa, Java Caffeine is king for most college students and, while generally the most economically savvy way of getting it is makin [...]
Orient Yourself, What You Need For Orientation
Michelle Balaun2020-02-27T14:14:50-05:00A Guide to Orientation Congratulations! Your child has been accepted to UNF! This is such a wonderful time in your child’s life and the start of the n [...]
Spring Break, Fun Times
Michelle Balaun2020-05-27T17:10:02-04:00Letting Off Steam Before Finals Spring Break...just the words conjure up so many different feelings, memories, and emotions. Some of the memories are f [...]
Transfer to UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-04-29T11:25:58-04:00You Can Change Your Mind and Transfer It is not uncommon for students to start at one university and find that it is not the place for them or to begin [...]
Money, Money, Money
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T12:41:56-04:00When Will Financial Aid Disburse? Or, Show Me The Money! The time has come to pay for your college costs and panic sets in. I have three kids and each e [...]
UNF Care, How to Adjust to a New Life
Michelle Balaun2020-04-29T11:17:04-04:00Transition Can Be an Adjustment, We Care Moving to college is a huge adjustment for many students. Some students don’t know where to start when they are [...]
Graduation Restaurant Reservations
Michelle Balaun2020-10-16T14:56:16-04:00Reservations! The Earlier, The Better! I can’t believe that graduation is right around the corner! UNF's Fall Graduation is in December and is held in t [...]
Parking at UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-05-29T16:03:40-04:00Get the Last Spot! When getting ready to send your student off to UNF, the decision of should they bring their car to school, and then what to do with i [...]
Technology Needs for UNF Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T13:58:19-04:00Here is What You Get For Free! HaveUHeard that Microsoft Office 365 is free for all enrolled UNF students? And it’s free for up to five devices. That is [...]
Sports
Michelle Balaun2020-05-07T16:00:46-04:00Are U an Osprey? Unlike almost any other Florida university, UNF does not have a football team. To some this may seem like a major disappointment; howe [...]
Places of Worship for Students
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T18:09:06-04:00Continuing Traditions Whether you are away from home as a first-year freshman or a fourth-year senior, it is always comforting to know that you can carr [...]
Restaurants
Michelle Balaun2020-06-24T12:32:48-04:00Great Places to Eat! Like any college town, there are literally hundreds of dining options from fast food to fast-casual, from family-style to fine dini [...]
Being Thrifty
Michelle Balaun2020-07-17T14:34:34-04:00When You Need to Stay on Budget, Be Thrifty! Being a college student, it can be stressful to be thrifty and stay on budget throughout the semester. Ther [...]
Are Your Student’s Valuables Safe?
Michelle Balaun2020-04-30T14:53:21-04:00Keep Them Safe As we were preparing my daughter for college, one of the most popular subjects discussed on my UNF parent's Facebook page was safety. I’ [...]
Safety Matters
Michelle Balaun2020-04-30T14:52:29-04:00How To Handle The Fact You Are Not There I am a neurotic mother, yes, I admit it! When my older sons left for school, I realized that I no longer had th [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T12:30:20-04:00Stress, It Happens to All of Us One of my biggest worries when my kids left for college, was would they be able to handle the stress of college life. Th [...]
Staying Fit
Michelle Balaun2020-08-19T11:06:09-04:00Keeping Fit Counts! Freshman 15? No way! Keep fit! We have all heard about the dreaded freshman 15 pounds that is so easy to gain the first year away at [...]
Rushing Her Way
Michelle Balaun2020-08-25T11:02:02-04:00Sorority Low-Down When my daughter was accepted to UNF she was thrilled! She starting talking about where she would live, who her roommate would be and [...]
Just Desserts!
Michelle Balaun2020-04-30T14:44:53-04:00Who Wants Dessert, Is My Favorite Sentence! Seriously?! My favorite meal of the day is dessert. When my kids were little, many times I would give them [...]
Family Weekend, Fun and more!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-11T17:04:50-04:00Fun Family Time Family or Parent’s Weekend is a fabulous weekend when you get to visit your son or daughter at UNF. They will want to show you all thei [...]
Campus Resources for Students of Color
Michelle Balaun2020-07-24T14:25:44-04:00Campus Guide to Resources for Mulitcultural Students Campus diversity amongst students has grown considerably over the years and most colleges acknowled [...]
Making the Most of Summer B
Michelle Balaun2020-05-18T20:08:07-04:00It Can Be The Best Season Ever! (Unfortunately Summer B at UNF will be remote for 2020. Please see our blog on Distance Learning to help with any trans [...]
Rushing His Way – Frats
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T18:15:57-04:00What Is the Rushing Real Story? So many times, we think about a fraternity and think of the movie Animal House. The brothers are living in a house that [...]
Preparing for Graduate School Exams UNF
Michelle Balaun2021-05-07T13:08:21-04:00Just Keep Going... Deciding to go to graduate school is a major decision for a lot of students. Having a master’s degree is a great way for students to [...]